Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-09-16
LkNCET-EYkRS MAHOKE.

The Virginia Lancet, published
at Petersburg, is a wonderful news
paper. 10 is edited ostensibly by
one w. w. Evans, a colored man,
but the reader of a recent pamphlet,
headed "FooD For THOUGHT"
which is, in its entirety, a eulogy
of Malone, and which contains a
lengthy notice from the Lancet,
headed "MAHoNE,' can not fail to
know that Evans does not do all
the editing for the organ. We
will give ten dollars for a column
on any political question which two
gentlemen of Petersburg may Sc
lect, written by Evans in the pres
ence of the same gentlemen. We
will then publish it in parallel col
umns with the article in the afore-
said pamphlet, and let our readers
Judge Of the Importance attaching
to the abuse which the Lancet heaps
upon Riddleberger. This is not
the first time such troops have been
thrown to the front to attack Rid
dleberger. The guberDatorial con-
vention of 1885 was notable ex-
ample. Riddleberger neither fears
nor respects the white generals who
( hound them on. The respectable
colored people of Virginia can not
be made to join in war cry against
a man who has made more fights
for them than ever the powers be-
hind the Lancet did, and that, too,
in q section of the state where the
whites prepOnderate ten to one.
1t was but short time ago that
the Lancet wanted to hear IRON
| Riddleberger on a special subject.
Had we enough Of Malone in our
composition to publish private cor
respOndence, we could give out the
request and the reasons which &c
companied it, to which the follow
ing letter was an answer, and which
the Lancet did not publish;
WOODSTOCK, VA,
June 25th, 1887.
Mr.. W. w. Erdas, Editor Virginia
Lancet.
Dear Sir: / am in receipt OF your
FAVOR of the 10th inst. requesting
me to "give YOU the history of the
conception of the Virginia Normal
and Collegiate Institute "ldea."
If YOU had omitted the word
"Idea" could have answered your
inquiry with a sentence OF few
words. One OF our great lexicog.
raphers makes Thought, Notion, and
sundry other words the synonym OF
Idea. Conception also appears in
the list of synonyms. Idea, says
the photographer, is "the image or
representation of anything in the
mind y Thought, "the rejection on
it: y Notion, @what we may know or
think of it, "Notions are enter
tained.n "Conceptions are formed"
Thoughts and notions are true or
false" Conceptions grand or mean,
distinct of crude" Concealment of
an idea is one thing. Conception
of an idea is quite another. The
first heard of the idea was in
conversation on a railroad train, on
nv way to the General Assembly
in December 1881. Col. Brady,
General Malone and myself were
discussing the troublous subject of
mixed schools, then being agitated
throughout the state. My recollec-
ton is that / inferred that these
gentlemen had previously been con-
sldering together the policy of pre-.
pairing colored teachers for colored
schools. 1t was finally said by one
or both, certainly both asserting,
that | should consider the matter,
and, if agreeing, prepare charter
for a College or Institute to carry
out the object. Many subsequent
conversations ensued between US
and others, and the then Governor
-CamerOn-the details Of which
would have to draw upon my men,
ory for, and these | would not I'M
dertake to recite except the two
facts: that the College or Institute
should be on the uth-Slde, and that
| was to prepare a bill as nearly
conforming to the general under
standing as possible. The Senate |
Journal of 1872, which is before !
me. shows that / introduced the
bill on the first day of the reassem-
bling of the General Assembly after
the holiday recess-January 4th,
1882. This bill | drew in the room
from which | now write you, and
carried IT from here TO Richmond.
Reference to its words, terms and
plan of organization will exhibit
that | grouped what | thought to
be the best parts or PROVISIONS OF
the chartered Universities and Col
leges of the state to form the char.
ter of the Virginia Normal Insti'
tute, subsequently amended by put
ting the word and Collegiate be-
tween the words Normal and 1nsti.
tute. Some days after introduced
the bill Delegate A. w. Harris, APP
preached me with a report OF con-
versation he said had passed be.
tween himself and Col. Brady, the
substance of which was that he
(Harris) had better introduce the
bill in the House where there was
better chance of earlier passage
To this there was and could be no
objection, and the House Journal,
page pa, shows that this was done |
Feby. l, 1882. In the meantime
had frequent conferences with the
colored Senators and Delegates who
generally thought the bill as drew !
it might possibly not give those
whom the school was intended to
beneft-the colOred peOple-suffi. !
cient voice in its organization and
management, and sundry sugges.
tons of amendment we're made. 1t
was apparent that the bill would
meet with opposition not easy to